The Morning After
by jendill
Summary: After a horrible one night stand, Bella gets to work and finds out who her new assistant is. Guess it's not a one night stand after all.
1. Chapter 1

The Morning After

I knew I was awake by the constant pounding in my head. I apparently had my own little drummer boy stuck in there. What I didn't know was why the sheets were so soft, or smelled so good; clean with a hint of… _man_. This was my first indication something was wrong.

The second came when I opened my eyes and had no clue where I was.

I quickly closed them again, trying to remember as much of last night as I could. There were visions of doing shots at the bar, dancing and celebrating my new promotion with my best friends but after that… _nothing_. I don't remember a drummer boy... how'd he get in there anyway?

The words 'one night stand' swam around in my head. I gingerly rolled over to see if I was alone. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding when I realized I was alone and in the most comfortable bed I'd ever been in. Whew... that bullet dodged. Just as I was beginning to relax back into the covers, I heard the water running. Picking my head up slowly I noticed what looked to be the bathroom door left open a crack. Did he leave it open with the intention of wanting me to wake up? Why did he get up so early? _And, who is he?_

I took quick inventory of the immaculate bedroom. King sized four poster bed which I currently inhabited, a tall dresser, two bedside tables, my clothes thrown around the room, and what looked to be a huge walk-in closet. No personal items, pictures or knickknacks, mostly simple clean lines. Thankfully, there was an alarm clock that informed me it was only 6:30. At least I wasn't late for work.

"I gotta get out of here," I mumbled to myself. Just as I was about to throw my clothes on and leave while my mystery man was still in the shower, the water stopped. Crap! Maybe if I pretend I'm still asleep, I can do the walk of shame after he leaves. This was my plan. Of course, nothing ever works out the way I planned.

My mystery man sauntered out of the bathroom in a low slung towel and headed into the walk-in closet. I could see him pulling things off hangers and then he disappeared for a few seconds. I vaguely remember seeing him at the bar last night. Visions of green eyes and crazy hair flashed into my mind. He was sitting alone at one end of the bar drinking a scotch and watching us dance. Alice pointed him out and before I knew it, I was sitting next to him with a drink in one hand and the other rubbing his thigh. He had a smile that could melt an iceberg and an old world charm about him that left me speechless. Basically, I was putty in his hands. I guess you could say that's how this all started.

It wasn't long before my mystery man emerged from the closet, buttoning up a shirt over his rock hard six pack. I think I drooled a little. Suddenly, I had a few visions of our late night activities in my mind. He finished getting dressed while I daydreamed of the many times and ways he and his magic fingers did amazing things to my body. Some of those things I didn't think were even possible. I always thought seven times in a night was a myth, but not with mystery man. With him it was just the beginning. I was so engrossed in my memories that I almost didn't hear him when he spoke.

"Oh good, you're awake," he barely looked in my direction as he greeted me. There was something different about him today, something cold and unwelcoming. I'd have to put an end to that immediately.

"Good morning. You sure are the early bird." I tried to be cute, maybe he just needed to remember how good we were together last night.

As if my speaking didn't phase him, he gave me a crooked smile and said, "Anyway...thanks for last night, I left some money on the dresser." With that he turned and walked out of the bedroom.

Wait… what just happened? My jaw dropped. Did he seriously go there? Before I could stop myself, I flung my half naked body out of bed and followed him into the living room. It took me a minute to locate him in his ridiculously large apartment. I finally found him sitting at a large table with a cup of coffee, reading the morning paper. I couldn't contain the anger I felt at this beautiful man. "YOU THINK I'M A HOOKER?" I all but screamed.

That got his attention.

"I'm sorry, Isabella, I must have been mistaken," he replied calmly, staring at me from over his paper. Without another word he went back to his paper as if he didn't just insult me. I stood there completely amazed for a minute. I couldn't do anything, but stare back at him, trying to figure out what happened to the sweet, funny, playful man from last night. And more importantly, my brain kept screaming, 'Crap he remembers my name, and I still have no clue who he is!'

Before I could make more of an ass out of myself, I turned on my heel, and stalked back into the bedroom. How dare he! Once I found my jeans and shirt, I threw them on, and grabbed my purse. I took one last glance around the room to make sure I didn't forget anything. I certainly never wanted to have to see him again, especially by having to come back and pick up something I forgot.

I've never done this one night stand thing, but I was pretty sure this wasn't the way it was supposed to go. Wasn't there supposed to be coffee in bed and numbers exchanged? Fake promises of "I'll call you" and "let's do this again"? How did I manage to find yet another loser? Story of my life.

With my head held high and a scowl on my face, I walked out of the bedroom and made a beeline for the front door. Luckily for me he was nowhere in sight. I made it into the hallway and onto the elevator before he appeared in front of the doors. He threw his arm in the elevator to stop the door from closing. Seriously? Now he wanted to talk?

With a smile on his face that screamed 'I'm a jackass' he had the nerve to ask, "Can I call you?" Oh, now you want to know if you can call me? I don't think so buddy!

I was so frustrated that I only had one reaction. I gave him a flirty smile and flipped him the bird. From what I could tell, he had no reaction to my finger at all! His natural ability to remain unphased irritated me completely.

Somehow luck was on my side and the doors closed as if on cue and I was whisked away from those green eyes that if I wasn't careful I could quickly get lost in again. Right then and there, I decided not to spend any more time thinking about the huge ass who called me a hooker. I left the swanky apartment complex with a deep cleansing breath and didn't look back. Glancing at my watch, I realized I had just enough time to catch a cab home to change and get to the office.

Hot coffee in hand, I walked into the office 5 minutes early. I was quite impressed with myself considering the short amount of time I had to get ready and get to work. I worked for a large publishing firm as their newest producer. Along with my new position, came a new office and a new assistant who was due to start today. I found his application on my desk and looked it over. Edward A. Cullen. Yale graduate, internships all over the country, great qualifications, on paper this guy was going to be great for the position. I let out a sigh; at least I would have some help getting all the added work they threw at me done.

Just as I finished reviewing the application, I heard my cell phone ringing from the depths of my purse. I found it just before it went to voicemail. "Hello?"

"Oh good, I was afraid you'd be too busy with the new job to chat," my best friend Alice joked.

"Well you've got about 30 seconds before my new assistant shows up, and then I have a feeling my day is going to be packed," I replied looking at all the paperwork littering my desk.

"Ok, I'll get right to the point then. So, how was he?" Alice asked.

"Ugh! I don't want to talk about it ... _EVER!_" I replied, immediately feeling like the hooker he thought I was. I turned around to look out the huge wall of windows that was the back of my office. My new position had its perks.

"Uh huh. I always had a theory that the really hot guys sucked in bed cuz the only thing they've been blessed with was good looks."

"Quite the opposite, Alice, he was amazing. I don't think I've ever… _ya know_… that many times," I replied, remembering the amazing tricks he could do with his tongue.

"Oh, well, then I don't understand." She sounded confused.

"Let's just say he thought I was a working girl," I explained, never feeling more naive in my life. What would a great guy like that be doing alone at a bar on a weeknight? Looking for a hooker, that's what. What was I thinking? Oh wait, I wasn't. I was drunk. That will be the last time I ever leave anywhere with a man I didn't come with. I never want to make that mistake again.

"That bastard!" Alice had a way of telling you exactly what she thought. Good or bad, you were gonna hear it. It's just one of the many reasons I loved her.

"Yup... and I don't expect to see him ever again. So, let's just pretend last night didn't happen and go back to our perfectly happy single worlds," I suggested.

"Deal. Some of us are going to go out after work tonight, you wanna tag along?" Alice offered.

"That's alright, I think I've had enough of the bar scene for a while."

"Ok, but give me a call if you change your mind Bells. Oh, hey, I have go. I'll call you later."

"See ya, Alice," I answered while turning back to my messy desk. I threw my cell phone back into my purse and decided to quickly straighten up my desk.

As I put my last file away, my phone beeped and the lobby receptionist spoke, "Bella, there is an Edward Cullen here to see you."

"Thank you, Jane, show him back, please." It was time to forget that bozo from last night and concentrate on work. I was just logging into my schedule, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone walk in to my office. "Have a seat. Sorry, I'm not as organized as I normally am, rough night." I apologized without looking up from the monitor that was quickly updating, telling me that I had a very busy day ahead.

"I'll bet," a smooth voice replied with a hint of a laugh.

I finally looked up to see green eyes shining back at me. My jaw dropped completely open and my cheeks blushed crimson. I quickly looked at my computer and closed my eyes hoping this was some sort of practical joke. It had to be a joke, right? There is no way that karma was this much of a bitch.

"You've got to be kidding me." I moaned.

Oh no, no joke. It was him.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch 2

I took a deep breath and when I opened my eyes he was still sitting there, confidently, with a small smile on his face. Crap… I had hoped it was all just a nightmare and when I opened my eyes he'd be gone.

No such luck.

It's official: my one night stand from hell was my new assistant.

Oh karma, how I hate you.

I wanted to beat my head against the desk. Repeatedly.

This is what I get for finally letting go and having a little fun… well a lot of fun, but we're not going to go there right now.

The clearing of a throat reminded me of his presence, and that this wasn't just a joke my subconscious was playing on me.

It's decision time. Do I pretend nothing happened or make Mr. Cullen understand that if we can't act like professionals I will need to look for a new assistant? I put on my best mature 'don't-mess-with-me' face and finally addressed him. Hopefully this time I would be able to control the reflexes of my middle finger.

"Mr. Cullen, I think we have found ourselves in a very unique situation."

"To say the least." The look on his face was one that I remembered seeing last night in the bar. The face of an arrogant, stuck up, hotter than hell bastard.

"If I were you, I'd wipe that smug smile off your face and act like an adult," I chastised. "Now, I am willing to admit it takes two to tango, but in this office I am the boss. And thus I require you to act appropriately. If we can both act like adults I see no reason why we can't continue on as associates."

He sat there for a second just taking it all in. I bet he didn't expect me to be so polished.

"So now you want to be a professional?" he asked with a devilish smirk on his face.

You've got to be kidding me. This is how I got into trouble last night; he's a huge, irresistible smartass.

He reminds me of… me, but with a dick; and a nice one at that.

He must have seen the scowl on my face because he quickly threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Just kidding."

"Ok, you've got the rest of the week, which gives you two days to prove yourself," I said sitting back in my chair and relaxing, showing him who's boss.

"No problem. I'm nothing if not thorough."

Wow, does he even realize how good he is at what he's doing? How even though I want to hate him with every fiber of my being, I'm helpless to that gorgeous smile and amazing emerald green eyes.

Just as I was about to shut down his inappropriate comment, I noticed Jessica standing in the doorway.

"Yes Miss Stanley?" I wondered how long she was standing there, and how much she heard.

"They're expecting you in the large conference room," she replied.

I quickly thanked her and glanced at my packed schedule for the day. I guess that five minutes to freak out in the bathroom will have to wait till later.

"Ok, let's go," I said to… it seemed in appropriate to call him Edward, but too formal to keep referring to him as Mr. Cullen.

"You can call me Edward, it's ok," he said seeing my hesitation.

"Sure... Edward it is," I replied as we walked down the hallway to our first of many meetings of the day.

Four hours, three meetings, two new projects, and one headache later I finally got to sit down at my desk. I really underestimated how much more work this job was going to be. At this rate I would be lucky to get out of here before eight. It's a good thing I don't have anyone to go home to; it doesn't look like I will be spending much time there anytime soon.

Seeing how late it was I quickly ordered a sandwich from the deli across the street. "I was just about to go get a late lunch, you want anything?" I asked when Edward walked into my office.

"No thanks, I just finished all the paperwork down in HR. Looks like you're stuck with me now, boss." He was munching on a Powerbar he probably got from the vending machines downstairs.

"Well, while I'm gone, why don't you start on checking that memo that I left open on my computer?"

"I'll get right on it," he mumbled through bites.

When I finally got a few minutes to myself I ran across the street to my favorite sandwich shop, On A Roll, to grab a tuna on rye. My order wasn't ready yet so I dug my phone out of my purse and called Alice. It went straight to voicemail; just my luck. "Hey A, it's me. You'll never guess who my new assistant is… the one and only one night stand from hell. Gimme a call when you can, I'm slightly freaking out." I hung up and noticed all the people in the deli staring. As if my day couldn't get any worse.

Lucky for me they finished my sandwich and within minutes I was on my way back into work.

"Oh Bella!" I turned back to the reception desk.

"So… what's he like?" Jessica asked with a dreamy look on her face.

"Who?" I asked.

"McHottie," she whispered.

What in the world is she talking about now? I must have given her the 'you're-crazier-than-a-crowd-of-teenagers-at-a-Justin-Bieber-concert' look because she leaned in and waved me closer.

"Your new assistant," she elaborated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh." She was interested in him; well she certainly was his type, "We'll see. He seems like he knows what he's doing." I kept it vague. She doesn't need to know how well he certainly did know what he was doing, most importantly between the sheets.

As she was digesting my vague answer the phone rang, and while she was occupied I quickly retreated to my office.

The rest of the day almost went off without a hitch. Edward had just returned from running something off for me and I was just responding to an email when the phone rang. Without thinking, I hit the speaker button and answered, "Miss Swan."

"Oh my God Bella, Your sexy one night…"

Mortified I quickly grabbed the handset and spun my chair around to face the wall of windows. "Alice, now's not really the best time for this. Why don't I call you later?"

Thankfully she took the hint and after promising to call her as soon as humanly possible we quickly hung up. Of course Edward was sitting in the chair opposite my desk with a single eyebrow raised. Why did he have to ooze sex appeal?

"Uh... personal calls are to be kept to a minimum." I tried pathetically to cover up my embarrassment.

"It's ok, you don't have to explain. I have a feeling my brother is going to have a similar reaction."

"You have a brother?" I asked.

"Yeah, your friend the blonde was dancing with him all night."

"Rosalie."

"And I think my friend Jasper has a thing for the short girl," he added.

"That's Alice." I paused before asking, "Is this appropriate?" We haven't really crossed any boundaries yet, but I don't know what's normal conversation for the one night stand that turned out to be your new assistant. Maybe I should Google that.

"Look, I want to apologize… I was a complete ass."

"That I won't argue with," I deadpanned.

"I just didn't know how to deal with…"

I put my hand up to stop him. Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone walk past the door to the office, anyone could hear our conversation if they wanted to.

"I don't think this is the place for this talk." I explained nodding towards the hallway. Edward turned and saw Jessica standing in the hallway talking to someone. I leaned a little closer and elaborated, "This place tends to have ears, and I don't think that's how you want your first day to be remembered."

"Good idea, we'll continue it… sometime."

I nodded in agreement. "In the mean time, why don't you get out of here."

"Ok, you coming?" he asked as he grabbed his coat and started to put it on.

"Nah, I'm going to be here a while with this." I lifted the notes we took from the meeting earlier.

"You want me to stay? We can knock it out faster," he offered.

I was impressed, I had given him a free pass and he still offered to stay late to help out. Just another piece to add to the puzzle that was Edward.

"Nah, get out of here."

"Ok, have a good night, boss." He left the office with a sexy smile and a wink. Oh yeah, he definitely knew what he was doing.

It was about an hour later when I finally got up to stretch my legs and grabbed a bag of chips from the vending machine in the employee lounge. I flopped back into my chair and started writing the last report of the night when there was a knock at my door. What I saw when I looked up made my jaw drop.

Edward was standing there leaning on the door frame with a pizza box in his hand. He changed from his suit and tie into jeans and a t-shirt. He seemed to be one of those guys who looked good no matter what he wore, and from my memory he looked good even when he wore nothing.

"I thought you might forget to eat," he chuckled as he walked toward my desk, "Or eat horrible food from the vending machine." He picked up the half eaten bag of chips and threw them in the garbage can.

"You didn't have to," I said as he put the pizza box down and grabbed a slice for me.

"I know. This is my peace offering. I'm sorry for being an ass."

My eyes never left his as I took a big bite of the best meat lover's pizza I've ever had. "Apology accepted." I inhaled that slice and quickly grabbed another. "This is the best pizza I've ever had," I moaned between bites. I always thought food was the way to a man's heart-who knew it worked the other way around?

He chuckled and said, "It's Sal's, right by my place, the best pizza I've ever had outside of Chicago."

We ate the better half of the pizza and when we were done I begrudgingly turned back to the report waiting on my computer. It wasn't going to finish itself. Edward cleaned up the pizza and put the leftovers in the fridge in the employee lounge and returned to the office as I was finally turning off my computer for the day.

"Thanks again for dinner," I said as I gathered my things to leave.

"No problem. I just wanted to make up for earlier."

We walked out and after a quick, awkward goodbye we went our separate ways. As I walked the few blocks to my place I couldn't help but wonder about Edward. He seemed like such a nice guy, why was he picking up girls at bars and having one night stands instead of spending the rest of his life with the woman of his dreams? Why was he working as a lowly assistant if he had a gorgeous apartment in one of the most high end complexes in Seattle? Why does he act like a complete ass at 7AM and bring me pizza twelve hours later?

As I got ready for bed that night, I asked myself if I would ever know the answers to any of the questions I have about Edward. Would we ever have a normal professional relationship? Would we ever have a personal relationship? I thought we had a great connection at the bar; I wouldn't have gone home with him if I didn't. All of the thoughts, clean and dirty, swirling around in my head don't exactly fall under normal employee relations.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hope you enjoy this chapter, and stick around, it's about to get fun!**

**SM owns everything twilight, I own the crazy things I come up with.**

Ch 3

Bella

It's hard to believe it's been a week and a half since what I like to refer to as 'the incident.'

Edward and I have had so many projects thrown at us at work that we've been too busy to be awkward around each other. Surprisingly, Edward has proven himself tenfold. He seems to stay one step ahead all the time, constantly surprising me with the amount of work he can accomplish in a day.

So far we've been praised as a team on more than one project we've completed and even received recognition from the CEO of the company, who took us out to lunch earlier today. I made sure to make it obvious that the work was a group effort, so as not to diminish his contributions. There was no way I'd get all of it done without Edward. He's truly proven himself priceless.

It was Friday, and after lunch with the bigwigs we cranked out one more small project and called it a week.

"Have a great weekend."

"You too, Bella," Edward replied, getting his phone out of his pocket. A few keystrokes later and he was out of the office.

I finished the email I was writing to my mom in Florida and headed home.

Just as I walked in the door of my apartment the phone rang. I ran in grabbed it and looked at the caller ID. I flopped down on the couch before answering it. "I have a date with a glass of wine and my favorite bubble bath tonight, Alice."

"Fine, but tomorrow we're celebrating Rose's birthday at Sky City."

"That's at the top of the needle, right? Isn't that a bit touristy?"

"I thought so too, but it's where Rose wants to go," Alice explained. "Besides, it's a good reason to get dressed up and strut your stuff."

"Alice, you always strut your stuff," I joked.

"I sure do, and it's landed me a great catch."

"Oh really?" I questioned. "When did this happen?"

"You've been so busy with work lately you haven't had a chance to meet Jazz yet!" Alice screeched into my ear.

"Jazz? Like the type of music?" I got off the couch and headed into the kitchen to get a glass of wine.

"Don't make fun, Isabella, it's not nice," she scolded.

"Ok fine, when will I meet Jasper?" I poured a hefty glass of wine and put the bottle in the fridge for later.

"How did you know his full name?" Alice asked.

"Edward mentioned him at work, said it looked like you two were hitting it off at the bar. I figured they had to be one and the same." I took a nice long swig of my chardonnay. Alice went on talking about Jazz for a while and finally had to go when he arrived for their date.

I refilled my glass and spent the rest of the night in my tub, relaxing and catching up on my reading.

I woke the next morning to an annoying chime near my head. I threw my arm out from under the covers and searched the nightstand till I found the source of the offending sound. Opening my phone, I saw that Alice had texted me, informing me that we were going to meet at the top of the Space Needle at 7 pm.

Having all day to myself I did something I rarely do. I scheduled a manicure and pedicure at the nearby salon. After a nice afternoon of relaxation, I grabbed a snack and got ready to go out with the girls. I chose a nice black dress with a daringly low neckline and a pair of snakeskin stilettos. I threw on some accessories, spritzed myself with Chanel No. 5 and was out the door.

At exactly 7pm I entered into the restaurant and saw Alice sitting at the bar. I walked right over and gave her a hug.

"I feel like it's been so long!" Alice screeched as she hugged me back.

"It's only been a week, Alice." I rolled my eyes.

"It's still too long… Ohhh, you have to meet Jazz!" Alice turned me to the man sitting next to her. He had a mop of blonde hair and beautiful green eyes.

"Nice to meet you, Bella. I've heard a lot about you," he said with a southern drawl. I'm willing to guess most of that info came from Edward… great.

"You too."

I took the open seat on the other side of Alice and had just ordered a martini when our table was available. "I'll meet you guys in a minute," I said.

After my drink was ready and paid for I went in search of my friends. I could hear them laughing before I could see them. I rounded the corner and there they were. Alice and Rose were sitting next to each other in a circular booth with their men on either side. I went to slide into the booth but was met with a body. "Oh," I looked up and sure enough, sitting in the corner was the one and only… Edward.

"Oh… uh… hey guys," I stuttered out as I positioned myself in the booth, "Sorry it took forever for them to make my drink."

"Bella's here!" Rose shouted. She must have started celebrating already. Rose was generally a loud person to begin with but once she started drinking you never knew what was going to come flying out of her mouth. This was sure to be an interesting evening.

Alice looked from me to Edward quickly and threw me an apologetic look; she knew I'd have some words for her later.

The big guy next to Rosalie stuck his hand across the table and introduced himself, "Hi, I'm Emmett."

"Hi, I'm Bella," I replied. He was as huge as a quarterback.

"Emmy bear, this is my Bells," Rose slurred as she snuggled up to him and ran her finger down his shirt. I looked over at Alice who already knew what I was thinking.

"Rose apparently started celebrating without us," she explained.

"Yeah, 'Emmy bear' wanted to drink tonight too, so he invited me along as the designated driver," Edward chimed in, "Little did I know they'd already started when I got to her apartment."

We sat there chatting for a little and then the waitress came and took our order. We all ordered seafood of some sort, I chose the King Crab Legs. I have a weakness for seafood.

We just ordered another round of drinks when Alice started telling Rose all about her latest shopping excursion and how she found the perfect pair of Jimmy Choos.

While everyone was distracted by Alice's tale, Edward leaned over and whispered, "This isn't too weird for you is it?"

I shook my head, "No, not at all."

"Good." He paused as if he was considering something, then finally went with it, "You look beautiful by the way."

I felt my cheeks redden. How did he know how to just throw stuff out there like that? "Thanks, you look pretty nice yourself." He was wearing a pair of black pants, crisp white button down shirt and a thin black tie. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was a part of the mafia.

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Rosalie interrupted, loudly.

"Just small talk, nothing important," Edward replied sitting back up and taking a sip of the scotch he'd been nursing. When he set the glass down, he traced the rim with his forefinger. The torturously slow movement reminded me of the amazing things he can do with those fingers. Those thoughts held my attention till Alice drug me out of my trance.

"Hey Bells," she said as she nodded towards the bathroom.

"Sure," I answered her unasked question and the two of us got up. Rose was lost in the land of Emmett and didn't realize we left.

"What's with girls peeing together?" I heard Edward say to Jasper as we walked away. Silly boys, they'll never understand.

I didn't have to go, so I fixed my lipstick while Alice did her business. I caught her eyes when she came out of the stall. "Did you know he was going to be here?" I questioned.

"I didn't, I'm sorry. It's not too awkward is it? You two seem to get along," Alice said while washing her hands.

"No, it's ok," I said. "We've become friends I guess."

"I sense a 'but' in that sentence."

"It doesn't help that I think about jumping him in the supply closet every chance I get."

Alice didn't say anything but I knew the look on her face said I should continue.

"There's just something about him. I felt it that first night at the bar. And I can still feel it in the office sometimes."

"What do you feel?"

"He seems protective of me. And it feels like there's an electricity in the air when we touch… I dunno, I can't describe it I guess."

"Oh no, no need to describe. We all see it. There's something between you two, but I can't put my finger on it."

By this time Alice was done washing her hands and we headed back to the table. I told her I'd be right there and veered off towards the bar. I heard they sing to you if it's your birthday, and what better way to embarrass Rosalie?

While I was at the bar waiting for the manager to come and help me, a man came up and took the stool next to me. I made the mistake of glancing in his direction. He wore a faded pair of black pants and a jean jacket straight out of the 80's.

"Come here often?" he asked.

You've got to be kidding. Does anyone really use that anymore? I took a quick look at him and realized he probably doesn't know any current pick up lines. He looked old enough to be my father.

"Wow, that's very creative, did you come up with that one by yourself?" I couldn't help the words that few out of my mouth. My mother would tell me to respect my elders.

"Feisty… just the way I like 'em," he slurred as he took another sip of his drink.

I turned back to the bar to ignore him, but he inched closer. "You never did answer my question."

I turned my head towards our table and made eye contact with Alice. I rolled my eyes and she laughed. I turned back to the bar just in time to see the bartender hold up his finger, telling me it will be another minute. Great, now I get to sit next to bad pick up line guy longer.

If it was possible the creepy guy inched even closer to me, this time rubbing his hand down my arm. "You wanna just skip all the small talk and get out of here?" This guy was getting too close for comfort.

Just as I was about to tell him where to go I felt a hand on my back. I would have immediately whipped around and punched the person, but the hand felt familiar. The gentle tap of his fingers told me who it was.

"You ok, babe?" Edward asked, nuzzling my neck with his nose. I could feel the electricity around us. He very stealthily slipped between me and the creepy guy.

"Uh yeah, just waiting to talk to the manager," I replied, leaning into him, thankful for his role playing.

"Ok, well our dinner just arrived. Let's go eat, and I'll flag him down from the table." Edward took my hand and led me away from the bar.

As soon as we got out of earshot I leaned into him and said, "Thanks for that."

"No problem. Alice was keeping an eye on you, but I didn't like the way he was looking at you… almost like you were something to eat."

"Yeah, he didn't know when to take a hint." I shivered, remembering his gravelly voice and his cold fingers running down my arm.

We made our way back to the table, and as we arrived Alice threw me a confused look. I looked around to see what surprised her and saw our intertwined hands. How'd that happen? I remember him taking my hand to lead me away from the bar, but I don't remember much after that. As we got in the booth I dropped his hand like a hot potato, causing him to look up at me in question.

"Sorry, I didn't realize I never let go," I said as we rejoined the conversation at the table.

Dinner was excellent, and right as we were finishing I spotted the manager and called him over. Luckily, Rosalie was in the bathroom at the time and didn't hear our conversation. When Rosalie returned, Edward excused himself from the table.

We watched as Edward approached the manager and they talked for a minute. They returned to the table looking like they've known each other for years. "No problem, Edward. I'll send over complimentary dessert for your lovely wife and friends."

Edward thanked the man, and before I could pull my jaw off the floor, Alice spoke up, "Wife?"

"Yeah, I may have led him to believe my beautiful wife here," he put his arm around my shoulders, "was approached by an ass at the bar that needs to learn to keep his hands to himself."

"What?" I questioned.

"He's going to make sure the bartender keeps an eye open for overly drunk guys not taking a hint."

Just then a drool-worthy chocolate cake appeared at the table. Edward cut everyone a piece and passed them out.

It was love at first bite. I couldn't help but moan as my eyes closed and I savored the best chocolate cake I've ever had. "I haven't had anything this good in forever," I moaned.

"I beg to differ," Edward mumbled.

"What?" I asked. Did he just say what I think he said? Alice choked on the sip of water she was taking.

"Nothing," he covered quickly, turning red.

Obviously I wasn't the only one who heard him.

"You really are a charmer." Rosalie slurred.

"A charmer?" Edward asked.

"Yeah, you charmed your way into Bella's pants and now you charmed the pants off the manager."

I dropped my fork and it clattered against the plate, drawing attention my way. I didn't know what to say. I probably looked like a fish with my mouth opening and closing, nothing coming out.

It took me a minute but I finally found my voice. "That was uncalled for."

Alice came to my rescue. "Don't mind her, she's drunk."

"No, it's the truth. You've never had a one night stand before, why now? It's not your style."

You've got be kidding me. The one person who's had more one night stands than Paris Hilton, and she's questioning me? And in front of the subject no less! How dare she?

I tried to remain calm as I could as I glared at Rosalie and ground out, "Can we not discuss my choices here?"

Rosalie obviously didn't care who heard her because as she continued she seemed to get louder, "And how can you work next to him every day? I would have canned his ass the first day."

"What has gotten into you?" Alice asked, sounding appalled.

"A whole lot of vodka. I have a feeling she doesn't mean a word of what she's saying," Emmett said throwing himself into the conversation. I think he was trying to end it, and thankfully he was successful. Rosalie decided now was the time they were going to make out at the table like a bunch of horny teenagers.

I didn't know where to look, across the table sat at my best friend who apparently doesn't approve of my current situation, or next to me is the man who is the cause of my current awkward position.

I decided to cut my losses and call it a night. I could only handle being embarrassed for so long. I leaned over and let Alice know I was going and slipped her my part of the check. I got up and retrieved my coat from the coat room and was leaving the restaurant when a rock hard body was suddenly in my way.

Great, another drunk guy trying to hit on me, why did I have to attract the idiots of the world?

I turned around and looked up to find Edward's green eyes searching my face. "I've got to get them home," he said. "You gonna be ok?"

"Yeah, I'm just going to grab a cab." My quick escape wasn't happening as I had hoped. Why did he have to be concerned? What happened to the asshole of the morning after? Would I ever understand this man?

"Ok, hey do me a favor?" he asked but didn't give me time to respond. "Text me when you get home … so I know you're safe."

See? Why does he have to do that?

"Sure. Good luck with them. Keep an eye out, Rosalie tends to puke on people."

Edward hailed me a cab and made sure I was safely inside before going back into the restaurant to help the rest of our party home.

I walked into my apartment and kicked off my shoes.

What a night.

Just as I was taking off my dress I heard my phone chime. I finished changing and washed the makeup off my face before retrieving my phone from my purse.

_Home yet?_

The text came in not 15 minutes ago and I already had another one.

_Are you ok?_

Crap. I forgot to text Edward when I got home. I quickly sent him a reply.

_Yes, thanks for the awkward evening._

I was expecting a witty reply when out of the blue my doorbell rang. I threw my phone on the couch and crossed the room to look out the peephole. There stood Mr. GQ himself. Why was he here? There was only one way to find out. I opened the door a crack and stuck my head out.

"Hi."

"Hi."

Well, this was going nowhere fast. I quickly tied the sash on my silk robe, thankful that I had put something on besides my skimpy sleep set, and opened the door all the way. "Come on in."

Edward walked past me and I got a whiff of his cologne. I've noticed he doesn't wear cologne on a daily basis, although I remember the smell from our first night together. It's a specific smell, something distinctly Edward. Just one whiff and I was transported back to a night I've tried to forget, but can't.

I closed the door and turned to see him standing in the middle of my living room. Since he left the restaurant, he'd loosened his tie and opened the first few buttons of his shirt, showing off some of his toned chest.

I probably stared at that piece of skin a little too long to be considered friendly.

I finally looked up to his face, a blush crossing my cheeks for being caught ogling, and the determined look he had on his face stopped me dead in my tracks. It was the sexiest thing I've ever seen.

"I think we need to have that talk now," Edward said in a deep voice. I knew that voice... he'd used it at the bar the first night we were together.

I think my jaw hit the floor… my heart starts racing… holy crap... he wants to talk?

Can I hold a decent conversation with him looking like he just stepped out of a magazine?

Mostly likely not.

I'll probably end up jumping him on my couch.

McHottie wants to talk about our weird relationship… I'm fucked.

At least I'm not wearing Granny panties.

**There ya go guys. Reviews are awesome, so hit that little link right down there.**

**Special thanks to Jen aka iAMurPoison and James for all their help.**

**Tease: next chapter is going to be Edward pov. (at least partially)**

**Find me & all my crazy friends on twitter ()jendill1**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of its characters, I will however claim the crazy thoughts in my head.

Ch 4

**Edward**

The door opened, and my breath caught in my throat.

Bella's mahogany hair hung loosely around her shoulders, and her eyes had a glimmer to them I've only seen once before. The robe she wore was the color of champagne and was very thin, showing off every delicious curve underneath.

It wasn't until she asked me to come in that I realized I was staring at her. I probably had drool dripping off my chin. Great.

I walked into her living room and took a quick look around. Magazines littered the coffee table, and pictures framed the TV. I recognized her friends in some of the pictures; others had people I've never seen before. Everything around me screamed Bella.

I knew I had a long way to go to get back into Bella's good graces, but after spending the past few weeks with her, I was willing to do anything. This was of course the reason I was there.

Bella followed me into the room and looked slightly confused. Maybe I should start with why I showed up out of the blue.

I took a deep breath to gain some courage and spat it out. "I think we need to have that talk now."

It took her a second but she nodded in agreement and went to sit on the couch.

"Have a seat."

"Uh… this might be easier if you're dressed." The words rushed out of my mouth before I had a chance to think about it. What was I thinking? I hate when things like that fly out of my mouth. The same thing happened that dreaded morning when I told Bella I left money for her on the dresser. I didn't mean it like that, I meant for a cab. Of course she'll never believe me now.

Her jaw dropped but she quickly recovered. "Oh well yeah, I wasn't expecting company."

"Don't get me wrong, I like it, but it's making it hard for me to think," I elaborated. Believe me, I'd love to see what's underneath again, but we really need to have a talk first, and if she stayed in her current state of undress I wouldn't be able to control myself.

Bella grabbed the well worn quilt that was on the back of the couch and threw it over herself. "Better?"

"No matter how I answer that question I'm screwed, so I plead the 5th," I joked.

"Ok, so why don't we start with why you showed up on my doorstep."

Wow… straight to the point, huh? I had to admit it's one of the things I liked about her. You always knew you were going to get what's on her mind, nothing less.

Time to own up. I can do this.

"Right, well, you didn't text, and Alice said you should have been home, and I got worried," I started to ramble. "So she told me where you live and told me to check on you. She really wasn't in any condition to drive over here herself."

"That's my fault, the cab was stuck in traffic, some accident near the river… and then I forgot."

"Oh it's no problem; I'm more on this side of town anyway."

I was stalling. Why can't I just tell her how I feel? Why I'm really here? That it's torture to work next to her every day, that every time I see her laugh it makes me smile, or that I want to kiss her goodnight for the rest of my life. Wait… did I just say the rest of my life? The man who's never had a relationship longer than 6 months is thinking long term? What has gotten into me? Just one thing… Bella.

"You're stalling."

"I am."

"Why?"

"I don't know where to start," I shamefully admitted.

"Can I ask you some questions?"

Oh this is going to suck. "Ok."

Bella sat and thought for a moment, chewing on her thumb nail, probably trying to decide what to ask first. "Did you know who I was in that bar?"

"Wow, you go straight for the jugular."

"I've had some time to think about it," she defended herself.

"No, that's fair." I took a deep breath. "At first no… but you said you were celebrating your new position, and how many other people in town are starting as a producer at a small publishing company the next day? But in my defense, we had something. I knew you felt it too."

Bella stared at me for what felt like ages. The face she was making had me slightly afraid of what was going to happen next.

"So you decided to sleep with me when you thought I could potentially be your new boss?"

"I don't recall much sleeping being done." Crap... I did it again. I need to learn to control the smartass in me.

Bella blushed a bright crimson and quickly replied, "That's not the point."

I put my hands up in surrender, "I'm sorry."

Her expression softened a little before I continued. "I have to learn to control the things that come out of my mouth. I know, Esme tells me all the time."

"Good, because I'm trying to be serious here."

"I know, and from now on I will think before I speak."

"So where were we?" she began. "Oh yeah, you were just about to explain yourself, and why you were such an 'ass' as you so eloquently put it."

How do I explain this? How I immediately wanted more than just a one night stand, but in the morning didn't know how to deal with my feelings? I am a guy after all; we don't do mushy.

Bella sat at the other end of the couch with an expectant look on her face.

"Ok… when I put two and two together, I knew you wouldn't be interested in me, so I hid my secret. For that I'm sorry. But, it's safe to say that I don't regret any of our actions that night, and I hope you don't either."

I know I was fishing... but I was hoping she'd give some sort of indication as to how she felt. As soon as the words left my mouth I saw it... she blushed and looked down. Score!

"What I'm really sorry about is that morning. I truly didn't mean to imply you were a hooker. I had left you cab money… I was going to leave you a note and go pick up coffee for my new boss to ease the blow. But when I walked out of the bathroom I sensed you were awake and panicked."

I couldn't help but chuckle as I continued, "When you came out all mad, it was one of the cutest things I've ever seen."

"Why didn't you correct me?" Bella whined as she put her head in her hands.

"Would you have believed me?"

Bella thought for a moment before looking up at me, "I don't know; it's hard to say now."

Ok, I guess I'll just spill the beans… rip the Band-Aid off so to speak. They say it's the easiest way.

"I don't do well with emotions. I didn't know how to tell you I wanted more than a one night stand, so I pretended I didn't care. It's my defense mechanism."

"Oh..." I could see the wheels turning in her head.

"And now that I've done my normal ramble, you must be more confused than before."

"Yes, and no. I am curious about a few things."

"Like what?" I questioned.

Bella looked down at her hands twisting in her lap. She spoke in a quiet, timid voice: "Well for starters, who's Esme?"

"My aunt." She immediately looked up, relieved. "Oh… you thought it was someone else? No, she's my aunt."

So she's afraid there's someone else. That's a sure sign right there. Before I could think about that anymore she asked the next question.

"Why are you an assistant? Your resume is impeccable, and you've got great skills. Your apartment is in the best building in town, so you obviously don't need the job..."

"There's where you're wrong. My parents left me a sizeable trust which I used for school, my cars, and apartment, but the rest comes with a condition. I have to have a job."

Bella sat up right and put her hand on my arm. "I'm sorry."

"Thank you, it's been years. My aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle took me in and have been like parents to me."

"I'm glad they were there for you."

"Me too. I loved living with Esme. She was the best stand-in mother." I hardly told anyone about my family, although it seemed I could tell Bella anything. More importantly, I wanted to tell Bella everything. This was a new feeling for me.

"How does this stipulation work?"

"Well, once I've 'proven myself' I get to take control of my parents company, Cullen Investments."

Bella thought for a minute. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"It's an investment firm that mainly helps people get started with things like small businesses, inventions etc."

"Hmm, it sounds so familiar. Maybe we've done something for them," she pondered. "So why did you go into publication?"

"I've wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. Esme has this amazing library, over a thousand books, it's always inspired me."

Bella looked impressed.

"Would you like to see it sometime?"

"I'd love to, but wouldn't that be weird?" she asked.

"I don't think so. In fact, I think she'd love you."

There's that signature blush I can't get enough of. It always comes with a dip of her head and the tucking of her hair behind her ear. I took it upon myself to tuck her hair for her. The look I received was pure shock.

"Uh, I'm sorry." I quickly pulled my hand back. I need to learn to keep my hands to myself.

"No, it's my fault, I … I…" Bella looked away from me and before I could stop myself I reached out and took her hand in mine. I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand and she slowly turned to face me again.

"Tell me what you're thinking… I can't read your mind." I needed to know if she hated me or loved me, or somewhere in between.

Bella nibbled on her bottom lip before taking a deep breath and spewing out a long ramble.

"You confuse me. One minute you're a complete ass, and the next you're Mister Charming. I never know who to expect, and yet I can't stay away from you. I've tried. You're there at work, you're there in my dreams, you're everywhere…"

She glared at me in exasperation. I took my chances, reached for her, and pressed our lips together.

Bella froze, and for that second I thought I had really screwed up, but then she tilted her head to a better angle and kissed me back. It wasn't a long kiss, but one intended to show each other how we felt.

I opened my eyes to find Bella touching her lips with the tips of her fingers and looking surprised. I couldn't tell what she was thinking. I hoped I hadn't ruined everything.

"Uh… I'm sorry?" I figure it's best to apologize upfront right?

Her face fell.

"Or maybe not?" I quickly amended my apology. "I just… I don't know what you want. But I'm not sorry. I like you and I think you like me, so there." Not my most articulate sentence ever, but I think I got the point across.

"Point well received," Bella said, smiling.

The quilt slipped down to reveal one of her creamy shoulders. How I wanted to lick the nook where her shoulder met her neck. I was really starting to rethink that whole 'better if you're dressed' thing. Damn quilt.

"I feel like I'm in high school again, asking the prom queen out." I laughed to cover up my nervousness.

Bella snorted. "I was never prom queen."

"You should have been."

If it was even possible, Bella blushed a deep red and thanked me.

"So, now what do we do? I mean I like you, and you like me, right?"

"Right…" she trailed off in thought.

Woohoo!

"I'm assuming there's some sort of policy against coworkers dating?" I asked as I put my arm on the back of the couch and around her shoulders.

"There probably is."

"Hmmm, what can we do about that?" I inched closer to her on the couch so we were practically touching. I felt the need to be as close to her as possible.

"That depends… how good of an actor are you?"

"I guess we'll find out, now won't we?" I smiled as I leaned in for another kiss.

a/n:

Click the review button right down there… you know you wanna.

Huge thanks to iAMurPoison and to my coworker James for pointing out my silly mistakes, maybe one of these days I'll learn how to use a comma.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I don't own anything Twilight related, that's all SM.

Read & Enjoy!

Ch 5

Bella

After our conversation that Saturday night and after we made out like teenagers on my couch for an hour, we decided it would be best to take things slow. Which apparently meant that we'd have breakfast on Sunday, a working lunch Monday and Wednesday, and dinner at my place Friday night. Thankfully, work was so busy the following week we didn't have time to think about 'us' at the office.

Saturday, Edward had plans to help his brother out, and I spent the day with Alice shopping. True to form, Alice had 100 questions she was dying to ask.

"So, what's the deal with you and Edward?"

I rolled my eyes. Here we go. "We're taking things slow," I stated.

Simple, straight to the point and honest: the best answer I could give her.

"But you're dating, right?"

"I guess you could call it that, although we haven't really been on a date."

"What are you doing tonight?"

"He's helping Emmett with something, moving something, building something, I'm not sure. It sounded like guy work." I looked at the rack of dresses in front of me, trying to decide if I needed something new. I had just plucked a sexy red dress off the rack when Alice came up behind me.

"That's hot. You should wear it for Edward."

"Ya think?" I asked, looking in the mirror, holding the dress in front of me.

"Definitely, your boobs will look great in that," Alice said, pushing me into the dressing room.

I quickly tried it on, and of course the little pixie was right. My boobs looked awesome, and I had just the right pair of heels to go with it. Now all I needed to do is get that first date.

Of course it would be perfect in every way. He would wear a black suit with a white shirt and his hair would be in perfect disarray. Edward would bring me a bouquet of stargazer lilies, my favorite flowers. We would dine in a fine Italian restaurant, our table lit by candlelight. We would spend the night talking about our childhoods and our lifelong dreams. Dinner would be capped off by feeding each other a piece of tiramisu. After dinner we would walk along the water hand in hand, stopping occasionally to share a passionate kiss. My hands would travel down his muscular back to his wonderfully sculpted ass. His hands would pull me close so I could feel the evidence of his arousal. Passersby would know we were deeply in love…

A knocking sound drug me from my daydream. Whoa… did I say 'in love?' I'll have to look into that first date scenario again later. Alice poked her head in the dressing room to see if I was done. In her arms were about 20 things she picked out and needed to try on.

After giving a thumbs up or down to each of her items and making our purchases, Alice and I sat down to lunch at a little cafe. We chatted about this and that, but I could tell there was something on her mind. Her foot was tapping a mile a minute and she kept trying to avoid my gaze. If you didn't know Alice as long as I did, you wouldn't pick up on her quirks, but to me it was like she was holding up a sign that read 'something's wrong'.

"What is it Alice?"

She looked up, surprised that I called her out.

Before giving me her answer, she sighed. "I hated seeing you two fight last week. Have you talked to Rose?"

"No, I'm waiting for her to apologize."

In all honesty, I was surprised I hadn't heard from her at all. It's not like Rose to be able to admit when she's wrong. She still holds a grudge with her 'best friend' from elementary school, who supposedly broke her favorite crayon. Ridiculous? Yeah we all think so too.

"From what I heard, Emmett dug into her pretty hard the next morning," Alice said as she took a drink of her water.

"I knew I liked him," I mumbled to myself.

The waitress brought our lunch then and we scarfed down our sandwiches like we hadn't eaten in days. Just as I was finishing my drink, Alice opened her mouth, "So was he as good the second time?"

"Alice!" I choked.

Alice could consider herself lucky I hadn't spit my drink all over her; that was really the last thing I expected her to say.

"What?" she asked. "You said he was amazing the first time. I wanted to see if there was a repeat performance."

"What part of 'we're taking it slow' didn't you understand?"

She sat in thought for a second. "I just thought you meant around the office."

"Oh no, we're doing the whole dating thing, getting to know you thing. You know, taking it slow." I emphasized the last part a little. Not that in the back of my mind I wasn't wondering the same thing. I mean seven times had to be a fluke, right? Maybe I had lost track counting; I had been drinking that first night after all. He really couldn't have made me orgasm seven times, or could he? I might have to look into this the next time I have him alone.

Thankfully, she dropped the conversation. We paid for our lunch, and we continued our afternoon of shopping. We called it a day shortly after Alice picked out a pair of what she called "fuck me shoes" for me to wear on our first date. I have to admit, they were pretty hot. They found their way into my bag with little fuss from me.

Just as I was about to go to bed, I received a text from Edward.

_Good night babe_.

~~TMA~~

Monday morning crept up quicker than I wanted, and I found myself at my desk earlier than I would like.

"Good morning."

"It is now," I replied, eyeing up the large coffee he was setting down in front of me. I took a small sip, testing to see if it was too hot. It wasn't.

I glanced at Edward who was now sitting in the seat next to my desk. The smug look on his face instantly made my panties wet.

Oh my god, what did I just say? I meant the coffee, not him. Or did I? And how did this man have such an effect on me with just one look?

"So what are we doing today boss?" he asked, taking a sip of his own coffee and licking the rim of the cup. How I wanted to be that cup.

It took me a minute to gain my speaking abilities, and when I did I'm sure he could tell I was slightly flustered.

"Uh, we're proofreading some pamphlets and a stack of documents that got dropped on my desk this morning."

"Great. How about we split it up? You take half and I take half. We'll get done faster that way."

I forwarded him the files and got comfortable because it was going to be a long and boring morning.

It was just about lunchtime when my phone beeped and the receptionist told me there was a delivery waiting for me in the lobby. I saved my work and went to find out what it could possibly be. As I walked into the lobby, Jessica was just getting off the phone.

"Here you go Bella," she said as she lifted a large vase of lilies from behind the desk.

"Um… thanks." I was dumbfounded. Who would send me flowers? It's not my birthday. Wait… Edward? Nah… maybe?

The boy gets credit for guessing my favorite flowers though…

Everyone seemed to look my way as I walked back to my office. Great, now there's going to be rumors running wild. Just what we don't need.

As I passed Edwards desk I nodded my head towards my office. He got up and followed me, closing the door behind him. Wonderful, that will just fan the flames.

"This is sweet, but you didn't have to." I said putting them on my desk.

"Um, you're welcome, but I didn't," he replied looking confused.

"Well, if they're not from you, who sent them?"

Edward looked confused for a moment then said, "Look to see if there's a card." Did I detect a hint of jealousy in his voice?

I gently dug through the flowers, but found no note. "Nothing," I said as I looked at the beautiful arrangement.

"Oh, I wanted to find out what you were doing Thursday," Edward asked.

"Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah."

"Normally Charlie flies in to visit, but he pulled the short straw and has to work the weekend. Alice is going to be with Jasper, so I guess it's take out for me."

"Absolutely not! You're coming to dinner with me," Edward stated matter-of-factly.

"To your parents?" I've never done the 'meet the parents' thing before, let alone on a holiday like Thanksgiving.

"Of course. Trust me, you don't want me to make dinner," he joked. "Unless you want to have the fire department on standby."

Wow. This is a big step, right? Meeting the parents. Talk about a first date. Wait, how many people are we talking about here? Am I meeting his parents or his whole family? Wow. I just went from dinner-for-one to a whole get together.

By the expectant look on his face I realized I never actually answered his invitation. "Sure, just let me know where and when." I thought for a second before continuing, "Oh, and can I bring anything? Charlie ranted and raved about my pecan pie." I always made a second, just for the guys at the station.

"I'm 100% sure Esme will say no, but I'll check with her tonight."

"Thank you."

Wow, my first serious relationship and it starts out with meeting his parents.

~~TMA~~

The week flew by, and before I knew it I was standing in my living room waiting for Edward to pick me up for Thanksgiving dinner. He told me yesterday that it was casual and to wear something comfortable. But who really wears sweats to Thanksgiving dinner? And I was meeting his parents for heaven sakes! I have to make a good impression. So I threw on a nice pair of jeans, a form fitting sweater and my new pair of Christian Louboutins… aka: my fuck me shoes.

'Everything is a little better with some hot shoes on your feet,' or so Alice's motto goes. I gotta admit, that girl has some good mottos.

Edward was exactly on time, and we drove to his parent's house in his shiny, silver Volvo. Just as we were about to pull up to the house, he turned to me and took my fidgeting hand in his.

"What are you so worried about?"

"I've never done the whole 'meet the parents' thing," I shyly replied.

"Don't worry, they're going to love you," he said.

"If you say so. Do they know I'm your boss?"

"Yeah, why? Does that bother you?" he asked as he kissed the back of my hand.

"I don't know. I mean… I just... I don't want anyone thinking you're sleeping your way up the company, or something."

"Bella, believe me, my family is going to be too excited to meet you to even consider that. I think they thought I was gay for the longest time."

I gape at him. "Really?"

"Yeah, I haven't brought anyone home in years," he admitted quietly.

"Why? Surely you had many a girlfriend in your time."

"Yeah, just not the kind you want to take home to mom."

Oh.

"I just hope they don't get out the baby pictures."

"And now I can't wait," I said, smirking. There was nothing better than the prospect of baby pictures. I love how he always has a way to calm my nerves.

We pulled up to what I would call a small mansion, although Edward just referred to it as 'home.' He walked around and opened the door for me, giving me his hand to help me out. As he closed the door, he gave me a quick peck on the lips and whispered, "Thanks for coming with me."

I smiled and was about to thank him for bringing me when there was a loud voice I recognized bellowing from the front door. "Quit making out and get in here so we can eat!"

I couldn't help but laugh and yell back, "Hi, Emmett!"

Edward and I walked up to the house, and Emmett pulled me into a bear hug. "Good to see you again, Bella."

He was hugging me so tight I could barely breathe. When he finally put me down, I punched him in the arm. "That's for trying to suffocate me."

Edward set the pie down before he took my jacket, and we walked into the living room. What I saw there was a bit of a surprise. On the couch was Edward's Aunt Esme chatting away with Rosalie. In retrospect, I should have assumed Rose would be there.

Esme jumped up to hug Edward and then pulled me into a hug. "It's so nice to meet you Bella! Edward's told us so much about you."

"Thanks for having me. You have a beautiful home." Fortunately my voice didn't waver from the nerves shooting through my body.

Esme took my hand and pulled me behind her. "Let me give you the grand tour."

We passed through the foyer and entered the kitchen. It was modern but still felt lived in. She explained in detail how they renovated it and while she was talking I began to feel more at ease. We were on our way out when a timer went off.

"Oh, that's the potatoes. Boys, do you mind helping me with the turkey? Your dad will be home soon. He got called in this morning for an emergency surgery."

"What can I do to help?" I asked. It felt strange to go from making the whole meal for Charlie and myself to making just a pie.

"Oh no dear, you're a guest. You don't have to do anything." Esme replied ushering me back into the living room with Rose.

This was sure to be an interesting conversation.

"Hi."

"Hey."

I sat at the other end of the couch and played with the hem of my sweater. I almost didn't hear her when she spoke, she whispered so quietly.

"I'm sorry."

I looked towards her and she really did look sorry. But I had to know why she said all those things at her birthday dinner.

"What do you have against Edward?"

Rosalie looked down at her hands in her lap before answering. "That's the thing; I don't have anything against him. From what I hear from Emmett, he's a really good guy," she paused. "I just had too much to drink and got a little carried away."

"I'd say so," I muttered out loud.

If she heard me, she chose to ignore my comment. "Did you enjoy your surprise?"

My surprise? What was she talking about? And then it clicked… the flowers!

"That was you?"

"Who did you think it was?"

I chuckled before answering her, "We weren't sure, there was no card."

"Those morons, I told them to add a card saying 'I'm sorry' in the flowers. Well, at least you got them."

"I did, and for the record, you're forgiven. We've all done or said something stupid when we were drinking."

"I know, I'm just so sorry for the things I said. It's none of my business who you sleep with or when," Rose said.

"Don't you forget it," I joked as I leaned in for a hug.

Rosalie hugged me back and when she pulled away she had a smirk on her face. "You two can stop eavesdropping and come out now."

I turned around to see who she was talking to, and sure enough in walked a happy looking Edward and Emmett. I couldn't help but stare, Edward looked so good in his green shirt that brought out his eyes. I think he caught me staring. Oups, gotta watch myself, his parents' house is not the place to be flirting.

"I told ya, man, leave them alone for a few minutes and they would make up," Emmett said sitting between Rose and I.

"Yea, or start a cat fight," Edward replied, which earned a swat to the arm from me.

We sat there joking like that for a few minutes until we heard voices behind us.

"I love seeing our boys happy," Esme said to the man she was snuggled up against.

Edward hopped up and held his hand out for me. I took it and he led me over to introduce me to his uncle.

"Carlisle, this is Bella. Bella, this is my uncle Carlisle."

I dropped Edwards hand and shook Carlisle's. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too," he said with a smile.

Esme patted his arm and said loud enough for everyone to hear, "Dinner is ready."

As soon as the words left Esme's mouth, Emmett came flying through the doorway like a five year old on Christmas morning.

The dining table was beautifully set, with candles and a huge cornucopia in the center. Carlisle said grace, and we all dug in. Conversation flowed freely and it was nice to see a big family sit down and have dinner together. The way Edward and Emmett joked back and forth, and the way Esme looked lovingly at her two boys. I couldn't tear my eyes off Edward, his joking and laughter was contagious.

I took a look around the table; everyone seemed to be enjoying their slice of pecan pie. I don't know what came over me, but I decided to be a little brazen. I took my shoe off and slowly ran my foot up Edwards calf. He whipped his head in my direction, a surprised look on his face. It was a little hard to do because he was sitting next to me, but I definitely got his attention. Unfortunately, I also got Emmett's attention who was sitting directly across from me. He paused, forkful of pecan pie in mid air and quirked his eyebrow at me. Crap, caught red handed. I'm sure I turned a nice shade of lobster. Thankfully it looked like no one else noticed my under the table activities, and for once Emmett actually kept his mouth shut.

After dinner, Rose and I helped Esme in the kitchen with the dishes even though she insisted we go relax with the boys. Rose washed the pots that couldn't go in the dishwasher, I dried, and Esme put them away. When we were done Esme brought out her favorite bottle of champagne and poured three glasses.

"What are we toasting?" I asked.

"To new family," Esme said with a smirk as she clinked our glasses and took a sip. Rose and I repeated her, and the three of us finished off the bottle. A little later we returned to the living room to find the boys staring at a football game. They all looked like they were in turkey comas, which caused us to laugh. Well, that and the bubbly.

We each went and sat next to our significant other. I've never had a large family to celebrate Thanksgiving with; it was usually just Charlie and I. It was weird, in a nice way, to have more people to share the holiday with.

Esme made her Black Friday shopping plan while we finished watching the game. While everyone else was staring at the TV, I was watching Edward. Football doesn't interest me, especially when I have Edward to stare at and memorize all his features. His nose has a slight bump, and his eyes are the most beautiful shade of emerald green. His hands… I could stare at his hands for hours. Of course I would blush the color of a fire truck because anytime I see his hands I think of all the things he made my body do with those hands. I felt my cheeks redden, and of course that was when he decided to look over at me. He raised his eyebrow in question and I simply bit my lip, trying to contain the giggle that wanted to escape at the thought of being caught thinking dirty things about my boyfriend while spending Thanksgiving with his parents. I was surely going to hell.

When the game was over Edward finished the tour of the house, saving his two favorite rooms for last: the library and his room.

The library was like a dream come true. Four walls covered in books from floor to ceiling. There were a few sitting chairs in the middle on a beautiful throw rug. We probably spent an hour in there looking at all the titles. Edward showed me his favorite and let me know that I could borrow anything I wanted to read. I was going to have to make plans to come back and spend a day lost in a literary heaven.

Finally, Edward showed me his childhood bedroom. I walked in to take a look around and he quietly closed the door behind us. Subtle. I raised my eyebrow in question; did he really think he was going to see any action under his parents roof? Damn… he must be able to read my mind and see that I've been thinking impure thoughts about him all day. There's nothing more I want do than make out with him, but not when parents can walk in. I gave that up years ago when I went to college.

He came up to pull me into an embrace. As he tilted his head down to kiss me, I put my hands on his chest and gently pushed back.

"I know what happened the last time we were alone in your bedroom, and as nice as it was, it's not gonna happen in your parents' house."

My inner hussy was smacking me upside the head, screaming 'what are you doing pushing him away?' Wow, I really need to learn to control her a little better. I'm pretty sure she's how we got into this to begin with.

A chuckle escaped his lips as he held his hands up in a surrender motion.

I continued to look around the room. There were trophies on a desk, an overflowing bookcase, a shelf full of board games, and my favorite part: a Scooby Doo light switch cover.

I walked over to the bookcase and saw quite a range of titles, from My Teacher is an Alien to The Chronicles of Narnia. On the bottom shelf there was an entire collection of The Hardy Boys. The top of the bookcase had a handful of signed baseballs in cases. There was one that wasn't in a case, and I had just picked it up when Edward's hand grazed my ass, startling me. I dropped the ball and saw it roll under the bed.

"Sorry," I mumbled as I quickly knelt down to retrieve it.

I reached under the bed and Edward protested, "Don't worry about it. I just couldn't keep my hands to myself any longer. You look amazing in those jeans."

"Nah, I've got it," I said reaching around trying to find the ball. How far could it have gone? I reached a little farther and my fingers came in contact with something else. It felt like paper... maybe a magazine... and that was when the light bulb went off. He had porn hidden under his childhood bed! This was going to be fun.

"I didn't find the ball," I said as I slowly pulled the magazine out. I got a glimpse of the cover and saw the Playboy bunny logo. "But I did find boobs."

I whipped the magazine out to show a surprised looking Edward. As soon as he laid eyes on it he went to grab it out of my hands, but I was too quick. Oh yeah, he recognized it all right.

"Let's just have a look here, shall we?"

"Bella..."

I started to flip through the magazine and Edward started to fish for explanations. Where did this brazen Bella come from? I am normally a nervous mess around men, especially when there's something sexual involved. But there's something about Edward that just makes me feel free.

"I forgot I even had that… I uh… I only read it for the articles…"

I looked up from something that couldn't be called anywhere near an 'article' and raised my eyebrow. I loved calling him out on stuff like this. He caves so easily.

He couldn't keep a straight face any longer and quickly confessed, "I was a teenage boy. What did you expect?"

I thought for a minute before saying, "I expected you to take it to college."

Edward was now flipping through it, pausing to look at some 'articles' longer than others. "I thought I took all of 'em. Guess this one slid through the crack."

"Really? Crack?" I couldn't help myself, he left that one wide open.

Just then there was a knock at the door saving me from a smart ass comeback, I'm sure. Edward threw the magazine back under the bed before yelling, "Come in."

"What are you two doing in here with the door closed?" Emmett asked with an exaggerated wink.

Edward rolled his eyes at his brother's immature attempt at a joke.

"Looking at porn." I answered.

Edward whipped his head to look at me, dumbfounded that I actually told Emmett what we were really doing. Emmett, on the other hand, looked like the proud older brother.

"Way to go dude, I didn't think you had it in ya to shag her in your old bedroom."

Wow, I got Edward to blush twice in the same day. There's another first for me.

"And that's where we kick you out," Edward countered as he tried to push his brother out of the room.

Emmett went willingly saying, "Rose and I are heading out anyway. Have a good night." Before the door closed he stuck his head back in and added, "For your sake Bella, I hope he's as good as his older brother."

"I have no complaints," I blurted out. I don't know what it is about Emmett but I can't seem to control my responses around him. He's like the older brother I never wanted. Or maybe it was the glasses of champagne talking.

"What has gotten into you?" Edward joked.

"Hopefully you later," I smiled what I hoped resembled his sexy smirk and walked past a shell-shocked Edward out of the room.

A/N:

See that button down there? click it and send me a review.

Thanks to James & iAMurPoison for listening to me rant and helping me through.


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